I Promise
by Punzie the Platypus
Summary: Called in from training, Finnick is told by Annie that they're expecting. That same day, he is given the news of going out to the Capitol. That night, he tells Annie, and she doesn't want him to go.


**_Soli Deo gloria _**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Hunger Games. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HAPPY I AM TO BE WRITING HUNGER GAMES STUFF AGAIN IT JUST MAKES ME HAPPY. And what sounds weird. He he he he. Thanks for reading! God bless you!**

"Soldier Odair." Finnick hears someone call his name. He turns and looks up from where he is pumping a dummy full of lead bullets in preparation for heading out to the Capitol. His eyes fall on Plutarch Heavensbee, the plump ex-Head Gamemaker, who's standing in the corner and waving for him to come over to him.

Shouldering his gun, Finnick heads over to him, letting out a breath at his exertion, and says in a respectful voice, "Yes, Mr. Heavensbee?"

"We got a call from the hospital wing. They want you over there."

Finnick's green eyes widen, and he feels a sort of pit form in the middle of his stomach. "Why?"

"I don't know," Plutarch says.

Finnick nods and looks at his gun. Katniss, who's watching him from her own post, comes over and grabs it from him and says, "What happened?"

"Annie," he says, and he turns and hurries, still wearing his grey soldier uniform, through one of the winding halls of the intricate, below ground District 13. His heart pounds, his feet slam against the ground, his worries about his wife come back to him, like when she was back in the Capitol. She had discussed with him, last night, that she was heading to the hospital wing the next day. Her stomach was plaguing her and she needed an examination to see that she was all in check because of her being locked away in the Capitol anyway. He merely kissed her and nodded, almost not paying attention to her words.

Now he wishes he had paid more attention to what she was saying. Was there something important he has missed? Did she sound worried about something? What symptoms did she have? He hasn't been with her during the day too much now that he is in the star squad. He saw her during meals and in the morning and night, of course, and there wasn't anything unusual about her.

Is there?

He passes several nurses and patients and ends up finding Mrs. Everdeen and asking her where they have Annie. She smiles, which makes him nervous, and calmly points him to a private room off of the normal beds and curtains. He quickly hurries in, and quickly sees Annie on top of a white counter. She's wearing a hospital dress that's loose around her skinny arms. Her quiet eyes look up and she gently smiles and says, "Finnick!"

"Annie," he says, hurrying to her. Her smile broadens, making him wonder why. He gently holds her hands, saying, "Annie, what's wrong? Why'd I get called here?"

"The doctor is almost here, Finnick," she says, sounding excited. "He has the first pictures of our baby."

It takes a moment to hit him. His eyes widen, and Annie looks even more delighted and the most beautiful he has ever seen her. _They're having a baby. She's going to be a mother. He's going to be a father. _

"What—we're—" he says, and Annie just lights up, and his hands release her hands and one goes in her hair and the other holds her gently as he leans in and kisses her. He feels her smile under his lips, and he isn't able to tell her just how excited he is. He's overwhelmed, overjoyed. He has never thought that he would ever be like this. He never thought he'd be able to wed his lovely, beautiful Annie, to love her without being threatened, and to have a baby with her made him want to cry.

When he pulls back, he sees tears in her eyes. Happy tears, and he wipes them away gently with the tip of his thumb.

"Don't cry, Annie," he whispers, though his own voice is choked with tears.

"I can't help it, Finnick," she whispers back, her voice trembling, a tremor of laughter in it. "I'm just so happy!"

"So am I," he says, and he feels the happiest he has ever been. "More than you know."

* * *

That night, Finnick is given a traveling bag. He secures it from one of the supply stations and takes it over to the small area he and Annie share. It's a small room, with a single, almost-double sized bed, and two standard dressers. It is big enough for the two of them, but for three?

He flings the bag onto the bed and sits down next to it. He holds his head, bearing it in his hands, in no mood to go and find the piece of rope he uses to make knots. Annie is away getting ready for the night in the bathroom. He has just a couple of minutes before he has to bear the news to her, THE news; he's going out with Katniss and the rest of the Star Squad to the Capitol the next morning, and he has no idea how she'll react.

Quietly, without much thought, he changes into grey pants and a white tank. Standard sleeping clothes for men in District 13. Letting out a breath, he starts taking out the clothes he has and throws them into the bag. He doesn't fit them in, though; they just sit on top of the sides, and it all looks like it should go into the laundry.

"Finnick?" he hears, and he turns to see the door cracked open, and Annie sticks her face between the crack, her fingers pressing tightly against the door. "What are you doing?"

"Annie," he says, and he walks up to her and gently grasps her arms. She looks alarmed as he leads her into the room. He takes a seat on the bed, right next to his bag, and gently lowers her into his lap.

"What are you doing, Finnick? Where are you going?" she wants to know.

"Annie," he whispers quietly, "you know how I've been training for the past couple of weeks? To go into the Capitol?"

"Yes," she says quietly.

"I'm being sent out, tomorrow, with Katniss, and Gale, and Boggs, and I don't know when we'll be back." He doesn't want to say it, he doesn't want to worry her, but he adds, "I don't know if we'll ever get back."

"Tomorrow? But—but Finnick," Annie says, her eyes widening. Finnick knows what she's about to do; it's almost routine, the way she shuts out other people when she hears something that sounds bad to her. She instantly covers her ears and starts rocking back and forth in his lap, barely feeling his arms wrapping around her.

"Annie, Annie, baby," he whispers, and he's trying to bring her back to him. He knows she zones out into her own world, to take herself away from the confusion and pain of his world, the real world. He kisses her on the cheek, her neck, her ear, her hair, whispering for her to please come back, and holds back tears of his own. How can he leave her? He needs her; even though she'll be all right here without him, he'll worry about her. He'll fall back. He doesn't want to. He wants to stay with her, be with her forever, to never be separated from her.

After a moment, he pulls back to see her face as she comes back to him. He gently moves her soft hair out of her face, and she looks at him, and she whispers, "I don't want you to go."

"I know, Annie. But I have to. It's all scheduled, and I've been training for so long. They're counting on me."

"I'M counting on you," Annie says, her voice shaky. She clasps one of his hands in both of hers. "Please, stay with me." She leans against his chest, whispering, "I don't want to be alone."

He kisses her hair again, and holds her closer, and wishes that she wasn't alone. "There's Prim and Mrs. Everdeen. You like them, don't you?"

"They're doctors," Annie whispers.

"They're nice, and they want to help you, Annie. Annie, Annie, PLEASE," he says.

Annie shakes her head, and meeting his eyes, says, "What—what about the baby, Finnick? What about him?"

"Him—him?" Finnick says quickly. "Wait—it's a boy?"

"I don't know. I want it to be. Like his father, and we'll think of a lovely name for him when you get back, right, Finnick?" Annie says.

He nods eagerly. "Oh, yes, Annie, after this is all over, we'll together think of a name for him. It'll be perfect, and then we'll all go live in District Four again. By the beach."

"The beach?"

"_Yes. _The beach, you love the beach," he whispers.

"You promise?" she whispers.

Probably the worst time to make a promise is in the middle of a war, where everything is so unpredictable. She needs reassurance, though. So he whispers, "I promise." This makes Annie look a little lightened, and he kisses her again and whispers, looking into her eyes, "I promise, Annie."

**AND THEN DEATTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHHHHH AND FEEEEEEEEEELS and the end that's all. Thank you for reading! God bless you!**


End file.
